In 1988 Pastor Lutzer from Moody Church preached a sermon that has changed my life forever. "Can you not pray with me one hour?" (Good sermon if I can still tell you the title today!). So I began 1 uninterrupted hour a week. in 1988.
Then on July 19, 1992 at the age of thirty I came down with what I thought was the 24-hour flu. Ten months later after having to take a medical leave from my nursing position, and having many things I counted dear stripped from me, the condition was diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS). I remember the 1992 Summer Olympics had just begun and I found myself obsessed almost forcing myself to watch all of the hours it was on TV. However, I could only be out of bed for three hours at a time. After three days I had it. I changed my strategy. I had never been a TV watcher, but an athlete I had always been. I decided now was the time to implement praying one hour a day. On that day in July 1992 prayer became my number one occupation. Over the last 18 years as I’ve remained disabled I’ve learned there is no greater occupation than prayer. I was never able to return to steady work due to my health but with God there is never a worry of unemployment or disability.
In October 2009 I began reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. The words prayer prodigy echoed in my head. After finishing the first chapter, while praying, the Lord challenged me to a new adventure, Pray 10,000 hours.
It was a mind-boggling concept. I was left repeating the challenge several times, “Pray 10,000 hours. I wondered how many hours are in a year? How long will this take? What kind of time commitment will this involve? What will I be required to give up to reach the goal? How many hours a week? Then I calculated the hours: 24 in a day, 168 in a week, 720 in a month and 8,760 in a year.
I repeated it again, “Pray 10,000 hours.” This time I was struck with how I had cycled 10,000 miles and my goal was to bicycle through all 50 States and on all seven continents. Before becoming disabled with CFIDS at the age of 30 I had bicycled across the US twice, cycled in England and Scotland, through the Canadian Rockies, in Israel and in Zimbabwe Africa on a Short Term Mission Project. I covered 30 states and bicycled on four continents. Was it a coincidence that God challenged me to pray 10,000 hours and I haven’t even reached that point in the book Outliers?
I began wondering where will this adventure take me? Who will I meet along the way? What is the itinerary? Through this experience I hope to get a bigger worldview as I learn to pray intelligently and intercede for those God places on my prayer roster.
“Pray 10K?” How will I do this? What do I hope comes from it? As I do this I will pray that God will expand my spiritual journey. I will also pray for healing during this time and watch God do His mighty deeds. In addition I will pray for family, friends, the ministry of His Wheels International that God entrusted me with to be the Founder and Executive Director of in 2005.
By this time I was so charged up, as I thought about praying 10,000 hours, I thought what a cool goal. Why didn’t I think of that? It had my excitement brimming over and sleep was difficult to come by. I was embarking on an exciting, dangerous, labor-intensive journey into some of the hardest territory according to scripture. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore[1]” (Ep. 6:10-14 ESV)
As I think about this adventure, it will require concentrated effort on my part. I will need to make some lifestyle changes including decreasing the amount of time I spend talking on the phone or watching TV. Of course like any big adventure this challenge leaves me giddy with excitement, but also wondering what it will cost? Will I really be able to accomplish my journey? Where will it take me? What suffering will I endure? What joys will I experience that I may have missed?
The discoveries I’ve gained after my first four hours of prayer is intelligent prayer requires work, study, research, and the Holy Spirit’s direction. “He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper” (II Chron. 26.5 ESV). Another scriptural discovery was, “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (I Tim. 4:8 ESV) I thanked the Lord for this promise and affirmation of my journey. “May I know I am not giving something up, I am getting filled up from the heavenly storehouse? The storehouses of blessings are mine.” I prayed. Am I willing to invest and seek hard after them? My heart bubbled up with excitement and a spirit of adventure.
Between October 2009-September 2010 I have prayed 863 hours. Since 1988 I have prayed over 7,341 hours. I know it is not the hours that matter, but the time with God. However it was a goal that would lead me to spending more time with our Savior.
As I conclude what I initially thought was my first year of Pray 10K (10,000 hours) adventure I stand amazed at how God answers prayer.
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